1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to vehicle parking and, more particularly, is concerned with a freestanding parking assist apparatus particularly useful in backup parking of large vehicles, such as pickups, campers, boat trailers, and recreational vehicles (RVs).
2. Description of the Prior Art
Parking a vehicle typically involves both forward and backing movements to maneuver the vehicle into the desired area. Backing can be a particuarly difficult task with large vehicles, such as campers and RVs, because of limited visibility from the driver's seat to behind the vehicle.
Many devices have been proposed in the prior patent art to assist in backing vehicles into designated positions within a parking area. Representative of the prior art are the devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,621,807 to Kang, U.S. Pat. No. 4,036,165 to Wood, U.S. Pat. No. 4,101,868 to Bubnich et al, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,965,571 to Jones. While many of these devices probably function satisfactorily under the limited conditions for which they were designed, they seem to lack adaptability to a wide range of conditions of use. The devices require a vertical structure, such as a wall, near the parking area to which to mount the device. Also, some of the devices are limited to operation during daylight conditions.
Consequently, a need exists for a vehicle parking assist apparatus which is more versatile and avoids the above-mentioned limitations of prior art devices.